‘Family card programme a milestone in social safety net’

Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain on Sunday said that in the Jatiya Sangsad that the government’s Family Card Programme has emerged as a significant milestone in ensuring food and nutrition security for poor and disadvantaged people across the country.

Replying to a starred tabled question from treasury bench member Sheikh Md. Rezaul Islam of Naogaon-6, the minister says the programme, implemented under the Ministry of Social Welfare, plays an important role in strengthening the country’s social safety net and improving the living standards of vulnerable households.

He said the present government introduces the programme based on the principle that “the family, not the individual, is the fundamental unit of development,” with the aim of ensuring citizens’ right to social protection.

The minister informs the House that Family Cards have already been distributed in several unions under a pilot project.

He adds that after the completion of a nationwide survey in the 2026-27 fiscal year, the programme will be expanded across the country, including upazilas under the Naogaon-6 constituency.

He said the government sets a target of bringing an additional 40.20 lakh people under the programme in the next fiscal year, adding that genuinely poor families in Naogaon-6 and other areas will gradually be included.

Zahid Hossain said the number of beneficiary families in each area will be determined through the Proxy Means Test (PMT) scoring method, which is designed to identify eligible households and ensure that social protection benefits reach the most deserving families.

He noted that the PMT-based selection process will enhance transparency and efficiency in beneficiary identification, allowing assistance to be directed to those most in need.

The minister reiterates that the government’s ultimate goal is to build an inclusive welfare state by ensuring food security, nutritional support and social protection for poor and marginalised families across the country.